A problem frequently associated with plumbing fixtures such as toilet bowls and sinks is the inadvertent clogging of the drain lines associated therewith. In this respect, toilet bowl drain lines are often clogged by an overabundance of toilet paper, while sinks are commonly clogged by debris such as hair, food waste products, etc. In the prior art, it is well known to use various types of chemical agents which are poured into the clogged basin to chemically dissolve the clog. However, a major disadvantage associated with the use of chemical agents is that these products are typically highly caustic and present health risks if ingested or exposed to the skin of the product user.
As an alternative to the use of the chemical agents, it is also well known to use a "plunger" which typically comprises an elongate wooden handle member having a cup-like member formed of rubber attached to one end thereof. The plunger is used by placing the open end of the cup-like member over the clogged drain and forcing the handle downwardly so as to invert the cup-like member, thus forcing the volume of water disposed therein into the clogged drain for purposes of dislodging the clog. Thereafter, the cup-like member is returned to its original, uninverted orientation so as to allow the same to be re-filled with a quantity of water. The aforementioned process is then repeated until such time as the clog is dislodged from the drain line.
Though the use of the "plunger" presents certain advantages over the use of chemical agents, this device possesses certain deficiencies which detracts from its overall utility. Foremost of these deficiencies is the frequent inability of the plunger to dislodge the clog within the drain line. In this respect, when the plunger handle is forced downwardly, only a relatively small volume of water is forced into the drain opening and hence the drain line. Additionally, the pressure at which the volume of water is forced into the drain line is also relatively low. Oftentimes, the forcing of the small water volume into the drain line at a relatively low pressure does not remove the clog from within the drain line, thus necessitating the use of alternative clog removing methods. The present invention overcomes these and other deficiencies associated with prior art plungers by providing a plunger device which may be used as an alternative to chemical agents and which introduces a high volume of water at high pressure into the drain line to remove a clog therefrom.